LIBELING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

libeling 1 of 2

noun

variants or libelling

as in libel

the making of false statements that damage another's reputation the underhanded politician resorted to libeling when it became clear that that was the only way he was going to win the election

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

libeling

2 of 2

verb

variants or libelling

present participle of libel

as in smearing

to make untrue and harmful statements about the court decided that the newspaper's reportage of the former mayor, while irresponsible, did not constitute an effort to libel him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for libeling

Noun

He was cleared of that, but then fell out with a friend who had helped concoct his alibi in the libel case, and was charged with perjury.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Paul Bettany opened up in a recent interview with The Times about the public’s misconception of his relationship with Johnny Depp after text messages between the two actors were used in court during Depp’s libel lawsuit against The Sun.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of libel

Verb

Yet what follows is an extended list of ethical sins, with a focus on the sins of abusive speech, such as slandering, slurring, slighting and smearing the reputations of others.

— Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
People have gone from smearing the compound on their faces to using injections, in hopes of achieving firmer, wrinkle-free skin and other anti-aging benefits.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of smearing

Noun

Gibney has never been one to shy away from controversy, but even before Musk’s release, the film drew the ire of its subject and threats of a defamation lawsuit.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026
Conrad’s legal team includes Camille Vasquez, who was among the attorneys who represented actor Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defamation

Verb

Yet what follows is an extended list of ethical sins, with a focus on the sins of abusive speech, such as slandering, slurring, slighting and smearing the reputations of others.

— Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Shocking lies Within hours, the administration was slandering her.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Jan. 2026

Definition of slandering

Verb

Policymakers defend draconian cuts to Medicaid by maligning the work ethic or honesty of low-income women, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

— Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
Underneath it, the authors of the flyer listed a few dubious talking points maligning immigrants.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of maligning

Verb

Social media users have critiqued her body both when with and without child and have accused her of disgracing the image of Black women.

— Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
Why are adults so comfortable publicly disgracing Black teenage girls going to their prom and being cruel toward strangers who are sometimes half their age?

— Essence, Essence, 11 May 2026

Definition of disgracing

Verb

One need look no further back in history than 20th-century Europe to see what can happen when populations and government officials begin vilifying the Jewish people.

— Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026
Both factors have spent much of 2026 vilifying Volpe’s play, particularly on defense.

— Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of vilifying

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

libelers

libeling

libelist

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“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of libeling

noun

verb

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